One day after
sacking the entire government, President Boris Yeltsin on 24 March praised
the work of Foreign Minister Yevgenii Primakov and Defense Minister Igor
Sergeev during a Kremlin meeting with officials in the presidential
administration. Yeltsin's spokesman Sergei Yastrzhembskii told Russian
news agencies that the praise can be taken to mean that Yeltsin wants
Primakov and Sergeev to remain in their posts. On 23 March,
Yastrzhembskii announced that "Russian foreign policy is based on long-
term national interests, and changes in the government cannot influence its
course," Reuters reported. The same day, Primakov said "the dismissal of the
government has nothing to do with changes or prospects for changes in
Russia's foreign policy," Interfax reported. Primakov is scheduled to attend a
meeting of the international Contact Group on Yugoslavia on 25 March. LB

GUESSING GAME ON NEW PREMIER BEGINS

A new cabinet is
expected to be appointed before Yeltsin's informal visit to Japan scheduled
for 11-13 April. Presidential spokesman Yastrzhembskii told NTV on 23
March that acting Prime Minister Sergei Kirienko is the "most likely" person
to be nominated for the post of premier. The 35-year-old Kirienko was
virtually unknown a year ago, when he headed an oil company in Nizhnii
Novgorod Oblast. Yeltsin's surprise dismissal of the government revived
speculation that Yabloko leader Grigorii Yavlinskii may be in the running to
succeed Chernomyrdin. Yavlinskii returned to Russia from Germany when
he heard about the dismissals. A sharp critic of the government, Yavlinskii
negotiated for possible cabinet posts in May 1996 and March 1997 but
turned down invitations to join the government after concluding he would
not be given control over important policy decisions. LB

WHO WOULD DUMA BE WILLING TO CONFIRM AS PREMIER?

Former Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin on 23 March appealed to State
Duma deputies to support Kirienko's candidacy should Yeltsin nominate him
for prime minister. Under the constitution, the Duma has the right to confirm
prime ministerial nominees. But Valentin Kuptsov, a prominent member of
the Communist Party, told ITAR-TASS that neither Kirienko nor Yavlinskii
would be "acceptable." Other possible candidates for the job, such as First
Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov and Saratov Governor Dmitrii
Ayatskov, would also have trouble obtaining approval from the Duma. (The
majority of Duma deputies strongly opposed a Saratov law adopted last
November that legalized the purchase and sale of farmland.) Nonetheless,
the Duma may approve a nominee it finds distasteful since the constitution
allows the president to dissolve the Duma if the lower house votes three
times to reject the president's nominee for prime minister. LB

SOME OBSERVERS SEE BEREZOVSKII'S HAND IN SHAKEUP...

Several Russian newspapers, including "Izvestiya" and "Moskovskii
komsomolets," on 24 March argued that the influential businessman Boris
Berezovskii helped engineer the dismissal of the government. Berezovskii
recently returned to Moscow after spending several weeks in Switzerland.
During a lengthy interview broadcast on NTV on 22 March, Berezovskii
said the government has made many mistakes. Since his own dismissal as
Security Council deputy secretary last November, Berezovskii has
repeatedly predicted Chubais's imminent ouster. "Izvestiya" said Berezovskii
turned against Chernomyrdin only recently, after the prime minister
approved the transfer of Central Excise Customs Service bank accounts to
Oneksimbank as well as the upcoming sale of 75 percent plus one share in
Rosneft (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18 and 20 March 1998). Oneksimbank is
a major shareholder in "Izvestiya." "Moskovskii komsomolets" is considered
close to Moscow Mayor Yurii Luzhkov. Both newspapers frequently
criticize Berezovskii. LB

...BUT YASTRZHEMBSKII DENIES YELTSIN WAS INFLUENCED

Presidential spokesman Yastrzhembskii on 23 March said the decision to
sack the government was Yeltsin's alone, ITAR-TASS reported.
Yastrzhembskii denied that Yeltsin had any meetings or telephone
conversations with Berezovskii before making the decision and said the
timing of the move--which came shortly after Berezovskii's return to Russia-
-was purely coincidental. The spokesman also said Yeltsin had not been
influenced by his chief of staff, Valentin Yumashev, or his economics
adviser, Aleksandr Livshits. During his 22 March interview with NTV,
Berezovskii described himself as an "unpaid adviser" to Yeltsin's chief of
staff. He also questioned whether Chernomyrdin or Yeltsin would be
"electable" presidential candidates in 2000. LB

CHERNOMYRDIN LOOKS TO FUTURE ELECTIONS

Chernomyrdin
put a brave face on the news of his dismissal, which shocked the Russian
political establishment. At a 23 March press conference, he vowed to
concentrate on preparations for the parliamentary and presidential elections
scheduled for 1999 and 2000, respectively. As has been his practice,
Chernomyrdin declined to say whether he plans to run for president. Duma
First Deputy Speaker Vladimir Ryzhkov, a member of Chernomyrdin's Our
Home Is Russia movement, argued on 24 March that the former premier
might be the only candidate from the "party of power" in the next
presidential election, RFE/RL's Moscow bureau reported. However, recent
events are likely to take Chernomyrdin out of contention as a strong
presidential candidate. Opinion polls indicate that even as prime minister,
Chernomyrdin's chances of reaching the second round of a presidential race
were slim. LB

CHUBAIS NOT WORRIED ABOUT FINDING NEW JOB

Former
First Deputy Prime Minister Anatolii Chubais on 23 March did not reveal his
next workplace but said he is swamped with job offers, ITAR-TASS
reported. Chubais said he had submitted a letter of resignation to Yeltsin in
early February, and he hinted that he would have resigned earlier but did not
want to give in to a campaign waged against him in fall 1997 by what he
called a "group of oligarchs." He also noted that Yeltsin sacked the
government at the "calmest moment," when no political or economic crisis
was looming, Interfax reported. Meanwhile, acting Prime Minister Kirienko
confirmed on 23 March that Chubais is still a candidate for the post of
chairman of the board of Russia's electricity giant Unified Energy System.
That post will be filled at a company board meeting in early April. LB

NEMTSOV TO CONVENE MEETING ON HELP FOR OIL
INDUSTRY

Kirienko on 23 March asked First Deputy Prime Minister
Nemtsov to hold a meeting within two days on measures to aid the Russian
oil industry, which has been hurt by falling prices for oil on international
markets. Following a meeting with Kirienko, Nemtsov said the government
will consider reducing excise duties for oil and gas (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 19 March 1998). However, he noted that the government must
"walk a tightrope" since budget revenues will suffer if those excise duties are
sharply reduced, ITAR-TASS reported. (Oil prices rose on 23 March
following an agreement among OPEC nations to cut oil production, but
prices are still well below average 1997 levels.) Nemtsov also said Kirienko
asked him to hold a meeting in the coming days on how to pay wages and
pensions on time. Nemtsov's future role in the government remains unclear.
LB

GOVERNMENT MAY BACKTRACK ON CUSTOMS BANK
ACCOUNTS

Former First Deputy Prime Minister Chubais announced on
23 March that the government may revise its decision to transfer bank
accounts of the Central Excise Customs Service to Oneksimbank, Russian
news agencies reported. He acknowledged that the decision to transfer those
accounts without holding a tender had been "unwise" (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 18 March 1998). A May 1997 presidential decree ordered the
government to move away from the use of "authorized" commercial banks to
handle state funds. That decree allowed for exceptions but said commercial
banks would have to win open tenders and pay fees for the right to perform
transactions with state funds. LB

ZYUGANOV CALLS FOR COALITION GOVERNMENT...

Speaking
in Simferopol and Sevastopol on 23 March, Communist Party leader
Gennadii Zyuganov claimed not to have been surprised by the sacking of the
cabinet and called for the appointment of a coalition government, including
representatives of the opposition, an RFE/RL correspondent in Kyiv
reported. The Communists have long advocated forming a government that
would be supported by a majority in the Duma and Federation Council.
However, Yeltsin rejected a coalition government proposal in January.
Meanwhile, Duma Speaker Gennadii Seleznev on 23 March appealed to
Yeltsin to hold roundtable talks involving opposition representatives and a
meeting of the "big four" (president, prime minister, and speakers of both
houses of the parliament) to discuss the new cabinet appointments, Russian
news agencies reported. LB

...WHILE HIS APPEAL IS LIKELY TO BE IGNORED

Speaking to
journalists on 24 March, First Deputy Duma Speaker Ryzhkov predicted that
the new cabinet will "not be a coalition government based on the Duma
majority," Reuters reported. He added that the new government will be
committed to "continuing the course of reforms. (In a televised address on
23 March, Yeltsin said he decided to dismiss the government in order to give
a "new impulse" to economic reforms.) Ryzhkov also said he thinks many
ministers will retain their posts in the new government. He made those
remarks after meeting with acting Prime Minister Kirienko, who is to hold
consultations with members of all Duma factions, RFE/RL's Moscow bureau
reported. LB

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY UNFAZED BY DISMISSAL

International reaction to Yeltsin's surprise dismissal of the government on 23
March was calm. Speaking to journalists in Ghana, U.S. President Bill
Clinton noted that Yeltsin "has the right to constitute the government as he
sees fit." Clinton added that he sees "no reason to believe" that the
government changes will adversely affect U.S.-Russian relations, AFP
reported. Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini said he did not anticipate
any changes in Russia's relations with Italy or Europe. Similarly, Japanese
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto predicted Russian-Japanese relations
will remain on course. (Russian officials have stressed that Yeltsin's visit to
Japan will go ahead next month as scheduled.) German Foreign Minister
Klaus Kinkel admitted to being surprised by the developments and said it is
"difficult to evaluate the situation" in Russia. But he added that he assumes
"Russia's reform policies will continue," Reuters reported. LB

CHECHENS WELCOME RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT'S
DISMISSAL...

Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov on 23 March
welcomed President Yeltsin's decision to dismiss Chernomyrdin's cabinet,
which he termed "an obstacle to improved relations" between Russia and
Chechnya, Interfax reported. Chechen Foreign Minister Movladi Udugov
said he hopes the new Russian government will implement the agreements
that its predecessor signed with Chechnya. Udugov said the resignation of
Interior Minister Anatolii Kulikov, who "had made his career on the
Chechen war," could help stabilize relations. LF

...WHILE TRANSCAUCASUS REACTIONS MIXED

Armenian Prime
Minister and acting President Robert Kocharyan said the appointment of a
new Russian premier will not impact on bilateral ties, which are based "on
common interests," Interfax reported. In Tbilisi, Georgian President Eduard
Shevardnadze and Minister of State Niko Lekishvili expressed the hope that
the new Russian cabinet will take tangible steps to overcome recent tensions
in bilateral relations. An unnamed Azerbaijani government source said
Chernomyrdin was "a balanced, pragmatically-minded manager linked to the
oil sector," who therefore had a special understanding of Azerbaijan's needs.
The source expressed concern that his dismissal will negatively affect Baku's
relations with Moscow. LF

MISSIONARIES FREED AFTER FOUR-DAY HOSTAGE ORDEAL

Two Mormon missionaries working in Russia were released on 22 March,
four days after they were taken hostage. Andrew Lee Propst and Travis
Robert Tuttle, both U.S. citizens, were set free outside the city of Saratov. A
spokesman for the Saratov branch of the Federal Security Service (FSB) said
no ransom was paid for their release, ITAR-TASS reported. On 23 March,
two suspects were arrested in connection with the kidnapping, and an FSB
official said they had confessed to the crime. AFP reported that Saratov
authorities have advised U.S. Mormons living in the region to move
elsewhere in Russia, although the agency said Saratov Governor Dmitrii
Ayatskov has promised to protect missionaries in the region. LB

ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL CHALLENGER AGAIN QUESTIONS
POLL RESULT...

Former Armenian Communist Party First Secretary
Karen Demirchyan told journalists in Yerevan on 23 March that he would
have been elected president with 53.3 percent support in the first round of
voting if the 16 March poll had been free and fair, Interfax reported.
Demirchyan claimed that supporters of Prime Minister and acting President
Kocharyan are exerting "enormous pressure" on his campaign supporters. He
called on the media to help ensure that the 30 March runoff is free and fair,
RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. Demirchian also claimed that the 21
March arrest of four men, among whom were volunteers campaigning for
him, was part of a deliberate attempt by the Armenian authorities to discredit
him. The Armenian Interior and National Security Ministry said the men
have been charged with illegal possession of arms and fake police identity
cards. LF

...WHILE ELECTORAL COMMISSION CONFIRMS RESULT

Also
on 23 March, the Central Electoral Commission released the final results of
the first round of voting, which differed from the provisional results by only
0.1 percentage point, ITAR-TASS reported. Commission secretary Armenui
Zohrabyan explained that a computer error was to blame for the discrepancy
of 60,000 votes between the two sets of figures, according to Noyan Tapan.
The final results show Kocharyan polled 38.76 percent and Demirchyan 30.
67 percent. Kocharyan said on 23 March that he is opposed to Demirchyan's
proposal that the election law be changed. He suggested that Demirchyan
submit his proposals to the Constitutional Court, Interfax reported.
Kocharyan said it is "strange" that Demirchyan had not publicly voiced his
objections to the current law before the first round of voting. LF

AZERBAIJANI OPPOSITION PARTIES FORM NEW ALLIANCE

Representatives of five major opposition parties and 20 public organizations
attended the constituent congress of the Movement for Democratic Elections
in the Azerbaijani capital on 19 March, RFE/RL's Baku bureau reported. The
movement wants to ensure there are no violations during the presidential and
local elections scheduled for fall 1998. Representatives of the Party of
National Independence of Azerbaijan and the Social-Democratic Party told
Turan that they will not join the new alliance as it does not include any pro-
government party. LF

CENTRAL TAJIKISTAN BECOMES TROUBLE SPOT

Another six
policemen were killed and four seriously wounded in the Kofarnikhon
region of Tajikistan, 20 kilometers east of Dushanbe, RFE/RL
correspondents reported on 23 March. Fighting broke out again the next day
when government troops arrived in the region, and reports from the area say
another 13 people have died. These latest attacks, like earlier ones, are being
blamed on armed units of the United Tajik Opposition (UTO). But Interior
Ministry officials say some of those units have left their assigned base areas
in defiance of the UTO leadership. Meanwhile in Dushanbe, a bomb went
off some 200 meters from the parliament building on 24 March, injuring two
people. BP

KYRGYZ PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS

Apas Jumagulov resigned on
24 March, RFE/RL correspondents reported. President Askar Akayev
accepted his resignation and appointed the head of the presidential
administration, Kubanychbek Jumaliev, acting premier. A joint session of
the parliament is scheduled for 25 March to discuss appointing a new prime
minister. BP

KYRGYZ PASSPORTS TO REFLECT NATIONALITY OF
HOLDERS

The government's press service on 20 March announced that a
special decree on ethnic minorities has been passed, RFE/RL correspondents
reported. Under that decree, members of ethnic minorities can change the
"nationality" listed on their passport to reflect their true nationality. Many
people in Kyrgyzstan are still designated as one of the titular groups from
the former Soviet republics: Uyghurs, for example, are registered as Uzbeks,
Turks and Kurds as Azerbaijanis, and Meskhetians as Georgians. BP

KYRGYZSTAN, RUSSIA SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT

Kyrgyz Prime Minister Apas Jumagulov and Russian acting Minister of
Emergency Situations Sergei Shoigu have signed an agreement on
cooperation in civil defense and emergency relief, RFE/RL correspondents
in Bishkek reported on 23 March. Russia will help train Kyrgyz teams in
mountain rescue techniques and emergency relief. Shoigu said he hopes a
similar system of coordinating relief efforts in times of emergency can be
devised for the entire CIS. BP

DEMONSTRATORS SENTENCED IN BELARUS

A Minsk court has
sentenced 29 people for taking part in anti-government demonstrations on 22
March, Reuters reported on 24 March. Igor Lazarchuk, a member of the
opposition Belarus Popular Front, said three of those sentenced will spend
10 days in jail for their attempts to deliver paper birds with broken wings to
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's residence. The demonstrators said the
birds represent a crushed Belarus. The other 26 were given one-day
sentences or fines of up to 5 million Belarusian rubles (some $100) for not
keeping to the prescribed route of the rally. PB

MINSK HALTS TRADING OF CURRENCY

The Belarusian Central
Bank ordered that all financial transactions in the Belarusian ruble between
residents and non-residents be stopped, BelaPAN reported on 23 March.
Currency dealers also reported that all financial accounts have been frozen.
The moves are an attempt by the government to prevent a further slide of the
beleaguered currency. The central bank was put under direct government
control the previous day (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 23 March 1998). PB

YELTSIN, CHERNOMYRDIN PHONE WITH KUCHMA

Russian
President Boris Yeltsin and former Premier Viktor Chernomyrdin each
called Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma on 23 March to discuss the
changes in the Russian government, ITAR-TASS reported. Yeltsin stressed
that foreign policy and bilateral relations will not change, Kuchma said.
Kuchma said Chernomyrdin expressed his appreciation for the president's
role in developing closer relations. The Ukrainian president, for his part,
thanked Chernomyrdin for his efforts in bringing to fruition the long-term
economic program recently signed in Moscow. PB

ODESSA DEPUTY MAYOR ARRESTED

Mykhailo Kuchuk, the deputy
mayor of Odessa, was arrested on 23 March by Interior Ministry officers and
charged with abuse of authority, the "Eastern Economist" reported. The
arrest is seen as part of an ongoing power struggle between Odessa Mayor
Eduard Hurvits and Odessa Oblast Administration Chairman Ruslan
Bodelan, who is challenging Hurvits in the mayoral race. The whereabouts
of regional administrator Ihor Svoboda, who was reportedly kidnapped at the
beginning of this month, are still unknown (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 and
17 March 1998). PB

ESTONIAN COURT RULES GOVERNMENT CANNOT IMPOSE
TARIFFS

The Supreme Court on 23 March ruled that the law on customs
tariffs, which gives the government the right to impose such duties, "partly
contradicts" the constitution, ETA and BNS reported. The court decided in
favor of an appeal by Legal Chancellor Erik-Juhan Truuvali, who argues that
the law gives "too wide powers" to the government and that the parliament
should have the right to establish customs tariffs. The court's decision cannot
be appealed. The draft of the law had been strongly opposed by the
opposition, which believes tariffs would harm Estonia's image aboard. As a
compromise, the parliament included in the final version of the law a
provision whereby the government must seek the parliament's consent to
introduce tariffs for a period exceeding six months. JC

LATVIAN PREMIER HOPES FOR REFORMIST GOVERNMENT IN
MOSCOW

Guntars Krasts said on 23 March that he hopes the new Russian
government will pay more attention to reforms, international cooperation,
and good-neighborly relations, BNS reported. He said it was difficult to
explain the worsening of Russian-Latvian relations following the pensioners'
rally at the Riga City Hall earlier this month (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4
March 1998). Krasts also urged that "serious negotiations" be launched
between Riga and Moscow to "smooth contradictions" that have emerged in
recent weeks. Also on 23 March, Latvian President Guntis Ulmanis said he
will convene a meeting of the National Security Council on 25 March to
consider developments in relations with Russia. JC

POLISH CARDINAL SAYS CROSS WILL STAY

Cardinal Jozef
Glemp, the head of Poland's Roman Catholic Church, said that a
controversial cross near the Auschwitz concentration camp will not be
removed, despite protests from Jewish groups, AFP reported on 23 March.
Cardinal Glemp said the issue is "non-negotiable" and that the cross will not
be removed just because some people do not like it (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 17 March 1998). PB

CZECH SKINHEAD SENTENCED FOR RACIALLY MOTIVATED
MURDER

The Prague City Court on 23 March sentenced 19-year-old Petr
Zbornik to a prison term of 14 and a half years for the racially motivated
murder of Sudanese student Hassan El-Amin Abdelradi last November. He
was also charged for grievous bodily harm, having stabbed in the arm
Abdelradi's fellow student, Abdul Kharim Rahman. Sixteen-year-old Jan
Schimperk, who swung a metal chain at Kharim Rahman during the attack,
was sentenced to seven-and-a-half months in prison, which he will serve in a
special confinement for youths. Both appealed the sentence, which will now
be heard by the High Court, CTK reported. MS

KOVAC TO HEAD SLOVAK OPPOSITION PETITION DRIVE

Former President Michal Kovac is to head a petition drive organized by the
opposition Slovak Democratic Coalition and the Hungarian Coalition to
protest the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia's (HZDS) intention to
change the electoral law. Under the current law, both individual parties and
alliances of parties must pass a 5 percent threshold. The HZDS, however,
wants to add 5 percent to that figure for every member in an alliance. The
drive is also aimed at demanding the election of the country's president by
popular vote, RFE/RL's Bratislava bureau reported. The gathering of the
100,000 necessary signatures will start on 25 March, the day marking the
10th anniversary of the anti-communist demonstration in Bratislava. MS

RUGOVA CLAIMS VICTORY

Tadej Rodiqi, the chairman of
the Republican Election Commission of Kosovo, announced
on 23 March in Pristina that shadow-state President
Ibrahim Rugova was re-elected in the 22 March elections
with more than 90 percent support, ATA reported.
Campaign spokesmen of Rugova's Democratic League of
Kosovo called the vote "the Kosovars' declaration of trust
and support in their leaders and in their peaceful and
democratic policy." The spokesmen added that "Rugova's
re-election as president of the republic legitimizes and
strengthens his position as the leader of the people of
Kosovo in [possible future] negotiations" with the Serbian
government, the shadow-state's information office
reported. FS

SERBIA, KOSOVARS RELAUNCH EDUCATION
AGREEMENT

Serbian Minister without Portfolio Ratomir
Vico and Rugova adviser Fehmi Agani signed an agreement
in Pristina on 23 March to restore Albanian-language
education in government school buildings. The agreement
seeks to put into practice a document that was signed by
Rugova and then Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in
September 1996 but subsequently proved a dead letter.
According to the Vico-Agani text, Pristina's Albanian
Studies Institute will resume work by 31 March and the
entire Albanian-language state school system will be
functioning by the end of June. Ethnic Albanians launched a
boycott of the state school system seven years ago
following the introduction of a centralized curriculum from
Belgrade. They subsequently introduced a private school
system, but that system is short on classrooms and
supplies and lacks international accreditation. PM

AGANI OPTIMISTIC ON AGREEMENT...

Agani said in
Pristina on 23 March that he hopes that agreement on
reopening Albanian-language educational institutions will
not meet the same fate as its 1996 predecessor. He
stressed, however, that Serbia has recently encountered
great difficulties as a result of its policies in Kosovo and is
no longer in a strong enough political position to disregard
any agreement it reaches with the Kosovars. In Tirana, the
daily "Republika" commented that the Kosovars will not be
satisfied with the education agreement alone and will
demand the full restoration of human rights. PM

...BUT SERBIAN STUDENTS, PROFESSORS SLAM IT

A
spokesman for the main Serbian students' union in Kosovo
said in Pristina on 23 March that the Vico-Agani agreement
constitutes a "betrayal of [Serbian interests in ] Kosovo
and a blow to the sovereignty of Serbia." He added that
Serbian and Montenegrin students oppose letting ethnic
Albanians design their own curriculum, an RFE/RL
correspondent reported from Pristina. The spokesman
announced the start of protests, which "will last until the
questions of Kosovo and of [instruction at] Pristina
University are solved once and for all." The Serbian Faculty
Council at the university passed a resolution condemning
the agreement as "illegal and unconstitutional." Rector
Radovan Popovic told a rally of some 10,000 students,
faculty, and local Serbs that the text "means the collapse
of the Serbian state." He added that the university "will
remain Serbian" and that anyone may study there but only
"in the Serbian language." PM

SERBIA EXPELS NGO MONITORS FROM KOSOVO

Serbian
authorities have expelled six U.S. non-governmental
election monitors from Kosovo (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 23
March 1998), ATA reported . The men from the San
Francisco-based organization Peace Workers were
arrested by police on 21 March and sentenced by a Pristina
court to 10 days in jail. The U.S. embassy in Belgrade
protested the sentencing. FS

ALBANIA LAUNCHES PLAN FOR KOSOVO

The
government recommended to the international community
on 23 March that Kosovo receive a self-governing
republican status such as Montenegro enjoys within
Yugoslavia and the Republika Srpska has within the Bosnian
state (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 23 March 1998). Prime
Minister Fatos Nano will present the plan to the meeting of
the international Contact Group slated for 25 March in Bonn.
PM

EU WARNS CROATIA

British Foreign Secretary Robin
Cook, his Austrian counterpart Wolfgang Schuessel, and
Luxembourg's Jacques Poos told Croatian Foreign Minister
Mate Granic in London on 23 March that the EU is
dissatisfied with Croatia's behavior toward the union. The
three ministers called Granic's attention in particular to
President Franjo Tudjman's recent refusal to receive a
delegation from the EU and demanded that Tudjman meet
with representatives from Brussels in the near future. The
EU has recently criticized several public remarks by
Tudjman as nationalist and disrespectful of Bosnia's
sovereignty. PM

BOSNIAN SERB WAR CRIME SUSPECTS ARRESTED

The
Sarajevo Prosecutor-General's office on 24 March announced the arrest the
previous day of 28-year-old Dragan Pejic, a former soldier in the Bosnian
Serb army, on suspicion of war crimes during the Bosnian war. The
statement did not specify the crime. It was the second such arrest within the
past few days. Police of the mainly Muslim and Croatian
federation arrested Milomir Tepes on 22 March on charges
of war crimes in eastern Bosnia. The UN police will soon
rule on whether Tepes's arrest was in keeping with
internationally agreed upon rules on arresting and
detaining war crimes suspects in Bosnia. UN police officials
added that they have not received any information from
the Yugoslav authorities on the whereabouts of Mirsad
Hasanovic, the director of the Sarajevogas Company, whom
Serbian police arrested in Sid on 22 March. PM

MORE CORRUPTION CHARGES IN ALBANIAN INTERIOR
MINISTRY

Interior Minister Neritan Ceka on 23 March
charged former Deputy Interior Minister Agim Shehu with
having misappropriated some $1 million in ministry funds.
Ceka claims that police funds were spent on organizing
Democratic Party demonstrations, "Koha Jone" reported.
The Prosecutor-General's Office, meanwhile, has launched
an investigation into possible abuse of office by Shehu
between 1994 and 1997. Inspectors from the state anti-
corruption agency recently found documents showing
Shehu used what were reported to be unethical practices in
granting government contracts. FS

ROMANIAN PREMIER NULLIFIES AGREEMENT WITH
OPPOSITION

Victor Ciorbea told journalists on 23 March that the draft
budget for 1998 has already been submitted to the parliament and will not be
amended, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. Nor will the privatization
law be modified to meet the demands of the opposition Party of Social
Democracy in Romania (PDSR), Ciorbea and National Peasant Party
Christian Democratic (PNTCD) chairman Ion Diaconescu stressed. Both
leaders denied rumors that a "deal" has been cut with the PDSR to replace
Ciorbea as premier after the parliament approves the budget. Former Prime
Minister Nicolae Vacaroiu said the PDSR is "amazed" that the PNTCD is
going back on what was agreed at the 20 March meeting with Ciorbea. He
added that the PNTCD will vote against the budget. MS

ROMANIA, GERMANY SIGN ENERGY ACCORDS

Romanian Prime
Minister Ciorbea and visiting German Economics Minister Gunther Rexrodt
have signed two agreements on cooperation in the energy sector, RFE/RL's
Bucharest bureau reported on 23 March . The first accord provides for the
delivery of 500,000 cubic meters of gas per year by Ruhrgas AC to the state-
owned company Romgaz. The second stipulates that Bayernwerk will
provide the Renel electricity company with know-how for the modernization
of production facilities. Renel is currently being privatized. Rexrodt, who
headed a large delegation of potential German investors, called on Bucharest
to continue on its reform course and to remove bureaucratic hurdles
hindering foreign investments. MS

ROMANIAN WEEKLY CALLS FOR 'FINAL SOLUTION'

In an
editorial published on 16 March in the xenophobic weekly "Atac la
persoana," editor in chief Dragos Dumitru says the recent events in Kosovo
demonstrate that U.S. policy is based on force and on the principle of
"whoever is not with us is against us." He says NATO's "Terminator plans"
are based on inciting national minorities and that the only possible defense
against such plans is "the elimination of dangerous national minorities
through any available means," ranging from "cultural assimilation to
physical extermination." Dumitru says that after Serbia, Romania will
become NATO's "next target" and that, "painful as this may sound, we have
to prepare for the final solution." In a hint to the Hungarian ethnic minority,
he ends the editorial by saying that "perhaps this [intention] should be
displayed on multi-lingual signs." MS

ANTI-COMMUNIST COALITION IN MOLDOVA?

Vladimir Voronin,
the leader of the Party of Moldovan Communists (PCM), says that despite
his party's victory in the 22 parliamentary elections, the PCM might not
participate in the next coalition government. Voronin told an RFE/RL
correspondent in Chisinau that the PCM would agree to a coalition with the
pro-presidential For a Democratic and Prosperous Moldova Bloc (PMPD)
and with the Party of Democratic Forces (PFD) only if those formations
would "accept most of our electoral platform, which is unlikely." He spoke
after meeting with President Petru Lucinschi on 23 March. PMPD leader
Dumitru Diacov said a coalition between his party, the Democratic
Convention of Moldova, and the PFD cannot be ruled out and that "the
chances of cooperating with the Communists are few." MS

IMF LAUDS BULGARIA

Anne McGuirk, the chief IMF representative in
Bulgaria, said on 23 March that Bulgaria has achieved financial stability
since the setting up of the currency board last year and that the IMF is
"confident" that Sofia's "ambitious program for economic growth" is now
feasible. She said the IMF is considering extending a three-year loan to
Bulgaria to support economic recovery but added that the final decision will
be made in April or May. An IMF delegation recently met with ministers in
charge of the economy. MS

YELTSIN SACKS GOVERNMENT

by Floriana Fossato

Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who is known for his bold and
unexpected moves, shocked politicians and observers on 23 March when he
fired Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and the entire government. That
move came on the heels of Yeltsin's return to the Kremlin following more
than a week of political inactivity owing to what was reportedly a respiratory
sickness. Most observers in Moscow believe the move is intended to signal
that the president is firmly in control and will not allow others to make--or
even be perceived to be making--political decisions in his place.

Political analysts Sergei Markov and Andrei Piontkovskii told
RFE/RL that, above all, the move "benefits Yeltsin" and also gives a "partial
boost to the positions of the reformers." At the same time, they say, Yeltsin's
decision and the way it was announced "is a blow and a warning to
Chernomyrdin." According to the two analysts, Yeltsin has been worried by
recent Kremlin infighting over who will succeed him in the year 2000.

According to many commentators, in the last few months powerful
Russian financial and business tycoons who control media outlets seemed to
be consolidating their support for Chernomyrdin, who was premier for more
than five years. Those commentators say Yeltsin was possibly disturbed by
signs of Chernomyrdin's new independent stance.

Former First Deputy Prime Ministers Anatolii Chubais and Boris
Nemtsov, the Chernomyrdin government's perceived top economic
reformers, have been locked in a power struggle with some of Russia's main
financial tycoons over control of the economy. Among the tycoons were
those who played a key role in backing Yeltsin's 1996 re-election, including
Boris Berezovskii.

Berezovskii said in an interview with NTV broadcast on the evening
of 22 March that Yeltsin could not be elected president for a third
consecutive term in 2000. He said that "even though Yeltsin is now
undoubtedly the number one political figure, I believe he will not be
electable in 2000." He added that "new authorities should not cash in on the
mistakes of their predecessors but build on the positive achievements of
today's regime."

Many observers were surprised by the businessman's remarks.
Political analyst Markov said Yeltsin may have viewed Berezovskii's
comments as a "provocation" or as a challenge to Yeltsin's authority. And
Markov noted that Yeltsin's move shows "the president wants to decide
himself who will be the best candidate for the 'party of power' in the next
presidential election."

Appearing on NTV a few hours after the Kremlin announcement,
Yeltsin said he has "instructed Chernomyrdin to concentrate on political
preparations for the presidential elections in the year 2000." He added that
"for us, the 2000 elections are very important. One can say that this is the
future destiny of Russia." The president praised Chernomyrdin as "thorough,
reliable, and trustworthy," adding that "we have worked together for more
than five years. He has done a lot for the country." But Yeltsin also argued
that "Russia now needs a new team that can get real results." Some
commentators in Moscow have interpreted those remarks as Yeltsin's
farewell to Chernomyrdin.

Yeltsin said Chernomyrdin's cabinet did well in some areas but "is
lagging behind in the social sphere." He said that a new team will have to
concentrate more on economics and less on political infighting. He also
stressed repeatedly that the dismissal of the government does not mean a
change of the reform course.

Following his meeting with Chernomyrdin on 23 March, Yeltsin
signed separate decrees firing not only the premier but also Chubais and
Interior Minister Anatolii Kulikov. Political analyst Markov said Chubais,
who has recently been suggested as a new board chairman of the electricity
monopoly Unified Energy Systems, will likely continue acting alongside
other reformers. Kulikov's future is viewed as less easy to predict. Chubais
has said he will remain a member of Yeltsin's "team" but did not say in what
capacity.

In a sign that he remains committed to reform, Yeltsin appointed 35-
year-old Sergei Kirienko as a first deputy prime minister who will also act as
chief of the government. Kirienko, who served as fuel and energy minister in
Chernomyrdin's government, is seen as an ally of Nemtsov. Kremlin sources
tell RFE/RL that Kirienko's name as a temporary replacement for
Chernomyrdin was suggested by Nemtsov. Analysts believe that Kirienko's
appointment may be only temporary and that Nemtsov's position in the
government may be strengthened.

Under the constitution, Yeltsin has two weeks in which to name a new
premier. The appointment must be approved by the State Duma, and most
observers agree that Kirienko's approval by the Communist- and-nationalist-
dominated lower house of the parliament could prove "problematic."
Communist leaders in the Duma have already said their faction will not
support Kirienko's candidacy.

However, Kremlin spokesman Sergei Yastrzhembskii said late on 23
March that Kirienko is the "strongest and the most real candidate" for the
post. Most experts say that Yeltsin will likely be able to find a compromise
with the Duma on the issue since it would be in the interests of neither
Yeltsin nor the legislators to start a confrontation now.